Temple of Neptune
Hello friends! I’ve recently returned from an extensive gastronomic journey through southern Italy. The last leg of this road trip brought me to the region of Campania. This region is home to the Archaeological Park of Paestum, an extremely well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage site. (Italy has the most UNESCO sites in the WORLD!) Yes, places like these are wonderful opportunities to take a (small) break from all the outrageously delicious Italian food, and take a step back in time. I made a quick video while at this remarkable site, be sure to watch it at the end of this post.
Take a step back in time as you walk inside the Temple of Neptune and gaze out toward the Temple of Athena.
You will enjoy an enriching stroll surrounded by the very impressive ancient Greek history of Paestum. This archaeological park is renown for its three magnificent and well-preserved Greek ruins: the Temple of Neptune, the Temple of Athena and the Basilica.
The Temple of Neptune is the first temple you’ll see as you enter this magnificent historical site.
They are absolutely stunning! Once you get up close to them, you’ll realize instantly just how extraordinary these structures are.
A closer look at the Temple of Neptune.
Further adding to the wonderment of it all, these temples were built during 600 to 450 BC. Yes, that’s BC! And, for that reason alone, this well-kept historical site is worth the visit. The site is situated about 1-hour 50 minutes from Naples, and a little over 2 hours from Sorrento. There are many other interesting hidden treasures to see as you walk around this glorious open-air museum, such as an amphitheater that is said to date back to the time of Caesar.
A night photo of the Paestum amphitheater.
Italy is full of amazing open-air museums, and when you are in the Paestum area, you definitely need to explore this one.
The Temple of Athena at night.
Here’s a TIP– try to visit temples at night. Once the sun goes down and the park closes, the temples will all be colorfully lit up, which adds an even greater allure to them! You can take photos from the street side and believe me you’ll be glad that you did.
The Basilica as night.
As many of you might already know, I am going to be presenting culinary tours to the regions of Campania and Calabria. This park will be a stop on the Spring 2018 tour. (Stay tuned for details.)
Click here for more information about the Archaeological Park of Paestum.
Additional information – This area of Campania is also famous for it’s prized production of Buffalo Mozzarella, a favorite Italian cheese known throughout the world! While I was in Paestum, I visited one of the top water buffalo farms called Tenuta Vannulo. They are an organic farm that produces some of the best mozzarella di bufala in Italy. You can see my blog post on them here. It is definitely a place worth visiting, to see and taste all that they have to offer, especially for mozzarella fans!